GUI control improvement using a capacitive touch screen

Abstract

A system includes a processing device, a touch screen display, a memory coupled to the processing device and a graphical user interface (GUI) control module, executed from the processor and the memory. The GUI control module identifies a control element displayed on the touch screen display near a location of a conductive object near a surface of the touch screen display, where the conductive object is not in physical contact with the surface, and enlarges the control element.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method, comprising:
 scanning an array of capacitive sensors in a touch screen display, during startup of the touch screen display, and storing baseline count values for each capacitive sensor in the array of capacitive sensors; 
 detecting a presence of a conductive object near a surface of the touch screen display, wherein the conductive object is not in physical contact with the surface, wherein detecting comprises scanning the array of capacitive sensors in the touch screen display to determine new count values for each capacitive sensor in the array of capacitive sensors, wherein a difference between the new count values and the baseline count values determines a location of the conductive object on the touch screen display and a distance of the conductive object from the surface of the touch screen display; 
 identifying, by a processing device, a control element, wherein the control element is displayed on the touch screen display within a predefined distance of the location of the conductive object on the touch screen display, wherein the control element is initially mapped to a first set of capacitive sensors from the array of capacitive sensors, and wherein the predefined distance of the location of the conductive object, within which the control element is displayed on the touch screen display is a configurable option; 
 enlarging the control element in view of the identifying, wherein the enlarging comprises mapping the control element to a second set of capacitive sensors including at least one additional capacitive sensor not included in the first set of capacitive sensors; and 
 updating a data structure comprising mapping information associated with the control element. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the conductive object is near the surface of the touch screen when the difference between the new count values and the baseline count values is between a lower threshold and an upper threshold. 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 1 , wherein identifying a control element comprises:
 comparing the location of the conductive object to a location of the control element; 
 determining a distance between the location of the conductive object and the location of the control element; and 
 determining whether the distance is less than a predefined distance threshold. 
 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein enlarging the control element further comprises rendering the control element to have a larger size on the touch screen display. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein enlarging the control element further comprises magnifying an entire area of the touch screen display within a predefined distance of the location of the conductive object. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 detecting that the conductive object makes contact with the surface of the touch screen display in an area where the enlarged control element is displayed; and 
 performing an action associated with the control element. 
 
     
     
       7. A system comprising:
 a memory; 
 a touch screen display; 
 a touch screen display driver; and 
 a processing device, operatively coupled to the memory, the processing device to:
 scan an array of capacitive sensors in the touch screen display, during startup of the touch screen display, and store baseline count values for each capacitive sensor in the array of capacitive sensors; 
 detect a presence of a conductive object near a surface of the touch screen display, wherein the conductive object is not in physical contact with the surface, wherein detecting comprises scanning the array of capacitive sensors in the touch screen display to determine new count values for each capacitive sensor in the array of capacitive sensors, wherein a difference between the new count values and the baseline count values determines a location of the conductive object on the touch screen display and a distance of the conductive object from the surface of the touch screen display; 
 identify a control element, wherein the control element is displayed on the touch screen within a predefined distance of the location of the conductive object on the touch screen display, wherein the control element is initially mapped to a first set of capacitive sensors from the array of capacitive sensors, and wherein the predefined di distance of the location of the conductive object, within which the control element is displayed on the touch screen display is a configurable option; 
 enlarge the control element in view of the identifying, wherein the enlarging comprises mapping the control element to a second set of capacitive sensors including at least one additional capacitive sensor not included in the first set of capacitive sensors; and 
 update a data structure comprising mapping information associated with the control element. 
 
 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the conductive object is near the surface of the touch screen when difference between the new count values and the baseline count values is between a lower threshold and an upper threshold. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the processing device further to:
 compare the location of the conductive object to a location of the control element; 
 determine a distance between the location of the conductive object and the location of the control element; and 
 determine whether the distance is less than a predefined distance threshold. 
 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 7 , wherein to enlarge the control element, the processing device to send a signal to the touch screen display driver to render the control element to have a larger size on the touch screen display and to cover more capacitive sensors in the array of capacitive sensors in the touch screen display. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 7 , wherein to enlarge the control element, the processing device to send a signal to the touch screen display driver to magnify an entire area of the touch screen display within a predefined distance of the location of the conductive object. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 7 , wherein the processing device further to:
 detect that the conductive object makes contact with the surface of the touch screen display in an area where the enlarged control element is displayed; and 
 send a signal to an application program to perform an action associated with the control element. 
 
     
     
       13. A non-transitory machine readable storage medium storing instructions which when executed cause a processing device to:
 scan an array of capacitive sensors in the touch screen display, during startup of the touch screen display, and store baseline count values for each capacitive sensor in the array of capacitive sensors; 
 detect a presence of a conductive object near a surface of the touch screen display, wherein the conductive object is not in physical contact with the surface, wherein detecting comprises scanning the array of capacitive sensors in the touch screen display to determine new count values for each capacitive sensor in the array of capacitive sensors, wherein a difference between the new count values and the baseline count values determines a location of the conductive object on the touch screen display and a distance of the conductive object from the surface of the touch screen display; 
 identify a control element, wherein the control element is displayed on the touch screen within a predefined distance of the location of the conductive object on the touch screen display, wherein the control element is initially mapped to a first set of capacitive sensors from the array of capacitive sensors, and wherein the predefined distance of the location of the conductive object, within which the control element is displayed on the touch screen display, is a configurable option; 
 enlarge the control element in view of the identifying, wherein the enlarging comprises mapping the control element to a second set of capacitive sensors including at least one additional capacitive sensor not included in the first set of capacitive sensors; and 
 update a data structure comprising mapping information associated with the control element. 
 
     
     
       14. The storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein the conductive object is near the surface of the touch screen when the difference between the new count values and the baseline count values is between a lower threshold and an upper threshold. 
     
     
       15. The storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein to identify the control element, the instructions to cause the processing device to:
 compare the location of the conductive object to a location of the control element; 
 determine a distance between the location of the conductive object and the location of the control element; and 
 determine whether the distance is less than a predefined distance threshold. 
 
     
     
       16. The storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein to enlarge the control element, the instructions to cause the processing device to render the control element to have a larger size on the touch screen display. 
     
     
       17. The storage medium of  claim 13 , wherein to enlarge the control element, the instructions to cause the processing device to magnify an entire area of the touch screen display within a predefined distance of the location of the conductive object.